Spending time in another world, hunting and being hunted… it leaves an indelible stain on your soul. It made returning to normal life almost impossible. Still, it was what I had to do to stay sane.
I sighed and checked my watch. Not even 10 am and already I’d had enough of work. If I had to brew one more low-fat half-caff tall soy latte for another pretentious faux-vegan anorexic cheerleader, I was going to lose it. I mean what happened to coffee with cream and sugar?
The door opened, and a pack of ‘tweens walked in. No Neil.
Where the heck was he? He was supposed to open this morning. Now it was two hours past my patience limit and he was still a no-show. Probably off at that Irish pub all night with Brigit. They were known to drink the night away together on too many occasions.
I was grumpy. Too much worry with nowhere near enough sleep. It had been days since I’d heard anything from anyone. Days since our weird trip to search for Camilla. Days since I’d last seen Adrius. And to say I was on edge was more than an understatement. I hated not knowing what was going on. Wiping down the spotless counter for the twentieth time, I recalled his words, “I’ll be back before you can miss me.” He was already too late for that. Hopefully he’d return soon, because I couldn’t wait to get his insight into things.
Finding Camilla’s scarf had seemed like a clue, but in reality it was just a scarf. It didn’t tell me where she was now. She might have been at the Bates Motel Peterson sent us to at some point, but who knows when. Or why, or for how long. Adrius wouldn’t be happy I’d gone without him, but everything turned out fine and I was safe. Peterson’s number came up unknown and with that link broken, I had no idea what to do next.
Maybe it was time to involve the cops. But all I had was a disconnected phone number, a broken door, my missing aunt’s scarf and a card for some MBD, whoever that was. Not much to go on. Plus, if whatever was going on involved witchcraft or faerie magic or both, it made everything that much more complicated… and dangerous. Didn’t it always?
I poured another round of vanilla lattes infused with healing lavender into takeout cups and smiled warmly when they left me a substantial tip, before leaving.
Another customer walked in, carrying an attaché, wearing three inch silver heels and a cloud of cheap perfume. Phyllis. The secretary of my excommunicated elven royal shrink.
Yes, I know how crazy that sounds.
She clicked over to the counter and smiled. Red lipstick smeared her front teeth and I started to tell her, but then stopped when I saw she was crying.
“Phyllis, what is it?” Had something happened to Dr. Greenbalm? Or… my stomach lurched violently… Adrius?
“It’s…” She sobbed, buried her face in her hands. “E…E…”
“Who?” I gripped the counter, held my breath.
“Eli…” She hiccupped, swiped at her eyes, sniffled. “Elijah.”
Familiar tingles prickled a warning up and down my arms. “What happened?” I whispered.
“He’s….he’s… gone.”
I frowned, staring at her, not sure what to say. Adrius’ uncle was a well-known and respected psychotherapist. He wouldn’t just take off without notice. “What do you mean he’s gone? Gone where?”
“I don’t know…” She pulled out a tissue to sop up her tears, then blew her nose. “We planned to have breakfast together, but he didn’t show up or answer his phone, so I went to his house, and when there was no answer, I went inside.”
“He keeps the door unlocked?” I asked.
She looked up, her lashes clumped together, black mascara streaming down her pale cheeks. “I have a key.”
Ah, was Phyllis his new mystery girlfriend?
“But when I got in…” She inhaled a shaky breath. “He was gone. They took him.”
“Who, Phyllis? Who took him?”
She sobbed harder.
“What do you mean someone took him?” I said it too loudly.
Several sleepy heads turned a semi-curious gaze in our direction.
I motioned for her to follow me in the back.
She stepped into the kitchen and froze. “They’re coming, Lorelei. They’ll come for you, too. It’s only a matter of time.” Her tears morphed into hysterical laugher, heavy black mascara streaking down her face.
“Um… hold on.”
Scanning the shelves, I grabbed a box of tissues and pulled out a handful, a little freaked out by her sudden 180. I poured some chamomile tea, to help soothe and calm. I handed Phyllis the cup and watched her closely. None of this made sense.
She took a few sips and I could feel the tension ease inside her a little. With a deep breath she continued. “It’s the Shadow . They stake their claim on those they choose in payment for debts, and all are powerless to oppose them.”
Okay, wait… she knows about this? “I don’t get it,” I said. “Why would the Shadow fey take Dr. Greenbalm? And what makes you think they’re after me?”
She sniffled, swiping her nose with the back of her hand. “They killed him. I know it,” she mumbled so softly I barely heard her. Her eyes glazed over, turning foggy like cataracts.
Then her head snapped back.
Too far back.
My eyes widened. What the heck was happening?
Her head kept drooping back. I feared her neck was going to break right off. Her hands fell useless to her sides. The cup and saucer shattered against the ground, splashing us both with warm chamomile tea. So much for calm.
“Phyllis?”
The blue veins underneath her skin engorged, turned dark green, raised rapidly to the surface of her arms, her neck, her face. Spreading quick and ugly, like a million spider legs, until her entire body pulsed the color of a giant dying bruise.
I froze.
Her mouth dropped open and a dozen voices spilled out at once. Old, young, deep, high, ghostly, earthy, threatening, whimpering.
I clamped my hand over my mouth.
Her body contorted, limbs twisted, bending into positions a lifelong yogi couldn't achieve.
If I hadn’t seen the things I’d seen in Nevermore, I would have seriously peed my pants.
Every bit of fat drained from her face, leaving her looking gaunt and sallow. Her milky eyes bulged. The green, pulsing veins carpeting her skin turned to thin, thorny vines and lashed out like gnarled fingers.
To keep from being hit, I staggered back, barely missing a barbed strike as my heart slammed against my chest.
She crouched, and looked up at me with the eyes of an ancient troll. "You." Her voice was a snake, hissing, gyrating. "It's you they want. Not him." Her sightless eyes narrowed, muscles tensed. She sprang.
I jumped out of the way and grabbed the teapot and whipped it at her. Boiling water hit her and she screeched in a chorus of voices.
I ran for the back door, fumbling with the key to unlock it. I could curse Neil for being so overly obsessed about break-ins.
The twisted creature that was once my shrink’s secretary had recovered from the hot water and slunk forward toward me, like a zombie dragging its in-turned feet across the floor. Living vines snaked from every bodily orifice, flailing like wild hoses.
I turned the key and it snapped off in my hand. Panic welled up inside me.
“Open!” I pounded my fists against the door and shoved it with my hip.
All on its own, the broken key turned and the lock clicked open.
I was hemmed in between a brick wall and the dumpster. I ran outside, turned the corner and hid behind the dumpster, leaving the door open behind me. Half of me hoped she’d stay inside. But the rest of me wanted her to follow. The last thing I needed was for someone inside the café to get hurt, and since I had no idea what kind of dark magic we were dealing with, or whose… it was best to get her as far away from the café as possible. I grabbed a board from a broken pallet next to me, folding my shaking hands around it, then peeked around the side of the bin. Deep breaths. I tried to calm myself, certain she’d hear my pounding heartbeat. I stood up, holding my board like a baseball bat.
Phyllis followed me though the door and dragged herself directly toward me. But then, as the sunlight hit her face she stopped dead.
Like a transformer, her limbs and body clicked back into place, the vines withered and died, falling to the ground. The veining vanished and her eyes returned to normal. Whatever had possessed her had left, leaving no trace of ever having been there. If it weren’t for the pounding in my chest, I might have believed I’d imagined it. But there was no way this was anything but real. She shook her head and gave me a sad smile. Then frowned, looking slightly confused.
My hand went limp and I dropped the board, but my heart was still thundering wildly. I didn’t return her smile.
“Lorelei? What are you doing here?” She looked around. She must have registered the look of bewilderment on my face because she frowned in concern. “Where are we?”
She didn’t remember any of it? Could this get any weirder? I cleared my throat.
“I uh… I was showing you the herb garden,” I said cautiously, then gestured to the gate just beyond the wall. “And you got a little light-headed, or something. You were about to head home.” I narrowed my eyes. “Should I call someone for you?” I hoped that was the end of whatever it was that had happened to her.
She shook her head. “What about Elijah?” she murmured.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I promise we’ll find out. As soon as Adrius comes back. Try not to worry.”
She nodded once, brushed a stray piece of shriveled vine from her sleeve and then turned toward the parking lot to leave.
I carefully closed the door behind us. Heaving a sigh I leaned against it. Relief washed over me, but I couldn’t still my trembling hands.